1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector with a non-conductive protective cover.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,987 B2, assigned to Fujitsu Component Limited and issued on Sep. 16, 2003, discloses an electrical connector comprising a plug body, a board and a shield cover assembly. The plug body and the board form a plug receiving a plurality of contacts therein (as shown in FIG. 4 of the patent). The shield cover assembly includes a first half shield cover and a second half shield cover connected together. The first and second half shield covers are conductive and made of die-casing zinc which will ground with system chassis for providing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, to prevent the shield cover assembly from touching with anything else to thereby occur a short circuit, it is necessary to provide an insulative cover for encasing the shield cover assembly therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,588 B1 (named as the '588 patent for simplification) discloses a cable connector which comprises a main body, a shielding shell having a top shell and a bottom shell attached together, and a cover unit covering the shielding shell. With reference to FIG. 2 of the '588 patent, the cover unit 6 has a top and a bottom portions 61, 62 attached together. The top portion 61 forms a first and a second side walls 63, 64 on opposite sides thereof. The bottom portion 62 forms a first and a second side walls 65, 66 on opposite sides thereof for correspondingly engaging with the first and the second side walls 63, 64 of the top portion 61. The first side wall 63 of the top portion 61 forms a first cutout 631 in an outer surface thereof and a pair of protrusions 633 on an inner surface thereof. The first side wall 65 of the bottom portion 62 has a first flange 651 upwardly extending therefrom corresponding to the first cutout 631 and a pair of latching tabs 653 upwardly extending from the bottom portion 62 along an inner surface thereof. Each tab 653 defines an opening 654 therein for fittingly receiving the protrusion 633. In assembly, the top and bottom portions are firmly attached together. However, when an external force is exerted on one sidewall of the cover unit, the external force is passed to and mostly accumulated on the latching tab. The latching tab is not blocked by anything when withstanding the external force. Because the latching tab is a thin wall upwardly extending from the bottom portion and has the opening, two sidewalls of the latching tab cannot endure enough external force and are easily subject to breakage, thus resulting in invalidation of the cover unit.
Additionally, in the above two patents, the connector has a plurality of contacts for engaging with an inserted mating connector, and a receiving space for receiving the mating connector. The receiving space of the connector is open to the outside and the contacts are unprotected. In this condition, contaminants, especially dust, may enter into the receiving space. When contaminants adhere to the surface of the contacts, they can degrade the electrical connection between the connector and the mating connector, and can further influence the quality of signal transmissions therebetween.
Hence, it is desired to provide an improved electrical connector to avoid the foregoing drawbacks.